Women’s Golf Heads To Missouri For Johnie Imes Invite

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Women's Golf 9/23/2022 1:00:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Women's Golf wraps up the busiest stretch of the 2022-23 schedule with the Braves playing in their third tournament in as many weeks at Missouri's Johnie Imes Invitational in Columbia, Mo., Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The first of four three-day tournaments on the 2022-23 schedule, the Johnie Imes Invitational closes out a span in which Bradley will play nine rounds in an 18-day stretch.

The Braves enter the Johnie Imes Invitational coming off the lowest round of the season with Bradley firing a 299 in the final round of the Nittany Lion Invitational in State College, Pa., Sunday to finish 11th of 16 teams.

Participating in the Johnie Imes Invitational for the 10th time in the last 14 seasons, Bradley is one of four Missouri Valley Conference squads in the 14-team field along with Drake, Illinois State and Missouri State. In addition to tournament-host Missouri, which claimed last year's Johnie Imes Invite title and is playing for the first time in 2022-23, the field is highlighted by two teams currently ranked in the top 100 of the Golfweek.com rankings in #61 Lipscomb and #84 Oral Roberts. Also schedule to compete in this year's event are Arkansas State, Cal Baptist, Eastern Kentucky, Florida International, Northern Illinois, South Dakota and Wichita State.

Both Monday's and Tuesday's rounds will feature tee times starting at 8 a.m., while Wednesday's final round will have an 8 a.m. shotgun start at the par-72 Club at Old Hawthorne.

Junior Grace Aromando paced Bradley last time out at the Nittany Lion Invitational, sandwiching a pair of season-best 74's around a 76 to tie for 25th overall at 224. Aromando leads the Braves with a 76.17 stroke average this fall.

Senior Mara Flaherty closed out last year's Johnie Imes Invitational with a one-over 73 and has been Bradley's second-best finisher in each of the first two outings of the 2022-23 season. One of three individuals to shoot in the 70's or better in all six rounds this year for the Braves, Flaherty is second on the team with a 76.33 stroke average after posting a career-best 77.86 stroke average last year.

Fellow senior Megan Welch tied for 33rd at last year's Johnie Imes Invite at 227, closing out the event with a two-over 74. Welch carded her 50th career sub-80 round during the season opener and currently ranks 12th all-time at Bradley with 51 career rounds in the 70's or better.

Sophomore Maria Perakis was Bradley's top finisher at the Johnie Imes Invite last fall, tying for 26th overall after firing a season-best 71 in the final round. Perakis was Bradley's top finisher at the season-opening Redbird Invitational, where she opened the season with back-to-back 74's and her 76.51 career stroke average is currently third best in school history.

Freshman Allison Pacocha enters the Johnie Imes Invite coming off her lowest round of the season after carding a season-best 74 to close the Nittany Lion Invitational. She currently ranks fourth on the squad with a 77.50 season stroke average, which would rank fourth all-time among Bradley freshman marks.

Bradley follows up the Johnie Imes Invitational by hosting the Coyote Creek Classic Oct. 8 & 9 in Bartonville, Ill., at Coyote Creek Golf Club.

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